Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wesviolet’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wesviolet’, characterized by its cascading habit, rounded and spherical plant shape; freely and continuous branching habit; small, narrow, dark green leaves; moderate to vigorous growth habit; flowers that do not close with low light levels or at night; numerous reddish purple-colored flowers; and good weather tolerance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Wesviolet.

The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany. The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross made by the Inventor of the Calibrachoa cultivar Carillon Blue, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Calibrachoa cultivar Million Bells, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa was selected by the Inventor in September, 1998 on the basis of its large flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany, has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Wesviolet have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somehwat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Wesviolet’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Wesviolet’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Cascading habit, rounded and spherical plant shape.

2. Freely and continuous branching.

3. Small, narrow, dark green leaves.

4. Moderate to vigorous growth habit.

5. Flowers do not close with low light levels or at night.

6. Numerous reddish purple-colored flowers.

7. Good weather tolerance.

Plants of the cultivar Wesviolet is most similar to the female parent, the cultivar Carillon Blue. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the cultivar Wesviolet and the cultivar Carillon Blue differ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Carillon Blue.

2; Plants of the new Calibrachoa have smaller and narrower leaves than plants of the cultivar Carillon Blue.

3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have shorter petioles and peduncles than plants of the cultivar Carillon Blue.

4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Carillon Blue.

5. Petals of the new Calibrachoa have cuspidate apices whereas petals of the cultivar Carillon Blue have emarginate apices.

6. Flowers of the new Calibrachoa do not close under low light conditions or at night whereas flowers of the cultivar Carillon Blue close under low light conditions and at night.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Calibrachoa. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Wesviolet’ grown in a window box.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in greenhouses under long day conditions were used for the following description. Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20 to 26° C., night temperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C., and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 lux. Plants used for the description were about 20 weeks old.

Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Wesviolet.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Carillon Blue, not patented.

Male parent.—Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Million Bells, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to develop roots.—About two weeks at 18 to 20° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous, and well-branched.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; initially upright, then cascading; uniform, rounded appearance, plants eventually become spherical in overall shape. Freely and continuous branching with lateral branches potentially forming at every node; typically about 20 lateral branches per plant.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes and patio containers.

Crop time.—About 8 weeks are required to produce finished flowering plants in 10-cm containers.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 15 cm.

Plant length (from soil level to lateral branches apices).—About 95 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 70 cm.

Vigor.—Moderate to vigorous.

Stem description.—Main branches, length: About 90 cm. Main branches, diameter: About 3 mm. Lateral branches, length: About 40 cm. Lateral branches, diameter: About 1.2 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Texture: Very short and fine pubescence. Color: 146C; under high light, anthocyanin, 200B, on upper surface.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, small, generally symmetrical and long persisting. Very short petioles. Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 2.6 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate, nearly linear. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture: Smooth, leathery; slightly pubescent. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Mature foliage, upper surface: 147A to 147B; veins, 147B. Mature foliage, lower surface: 147B to 147C; veins, 147C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Small to medium-sized flowers; flowers face mostly outwardly; single, axillary. Flowers not persistent. Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 2.9 cm. Depth (height): About 1.8 cm. Tube length: About 1.6 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1.8 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.

Flower buds (just showing color).—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Oblong. Color: Apex, 79C; base, 177B; veining, 166A.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 1.4 cm. Petal width: About 1.35 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate with cuspidate apex. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, satiny. Color: Petal, upper surface, when opening: 83B. Petal, lower surface, when opening: 79D. Petal, upper surface, opened flower: 83B to 83C occasionally with some reddish overtones; fading to 83D; veins, 79B. Petal, lower surface, opened flower: 83D; veins, 79A. Flower throat (inside): 12A to 12D; some veining, 146C and 166A. Flower tube (outside): 173D; veins, 166A and 79A.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals, star-shaped. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, leathery. Color: Upper surface: 146A. Lower surface: 146B; occasional anthocyanin near base and mid-vein.

Peduncles.—Length: Short, less than 1 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Strength: Flexible and wiry, flowers held mostly outwardly. Color: 144A with anthocyanin, 166A to 166B, near sepals.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About five. Anther shape: Four-parted, oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 12C. Filament color: 144B to 144C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 12C. Pistils: Quantity: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 144A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: 144C. Ovary color: 144B to 144C.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens common to Calibrachoa.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa are tolerant to rain and wind. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed to tolerate temperatures from −3 to at least 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named 